Dora Award for COC Otello "Iago"Sunday 30 June 2019Congratulations to Gerald Finley for winning a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Performance of an Individual (Opera Division) for his role of Iago in Otello with the Canadian Opera Company.

The Canadian Opera Company won a total of seven awards. You can see all the winners here:

Iago in Otello at Bavarian State OperaMonday 10 December 2018Gerald Finley has been appearing to great critical acclaim at the Bavarian State Opera in his first stage rendition of the villainous Iago. The new production by Amélie Niermeyer, conducted by Kirill Petrenko stars Jonas Kaufmann and Anja Harteros. The opera has been enjoyed by audiences around the world thanks to radio broadcast (til 23 December) by Bayerischer Rundfunk BR-Klassik, and the live online tv stream by Staatsoper.tv

Gerald Finley will appear next as Iago in Toronto in April and May 2019.

Roses of Picardy releaseTuesday 27 November 2018Gerald Finley has released a single, as part of the commemoration of the end of WW1. The evocative song of lost love by Haydn Wood was popular in the late stages of the war among the population and British and Canadian troops. It is available on the Chandos label and Apple Music for immediate download.

Gerald Finley at the Last Night of the Proms 2018Monday 10 September 2018Gerald Finley was the vocal soloist in the BBC's Last Night of the Proms, joining conductor Sir Andrew Davis, the saxophonist Jess Gillam, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Singers and the BBC Symphony Chorus. He sang Stanford's Songs of the Sea, the Soliloquy from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel, and led the audience in famous War Songs from WW1. In "Rule Brittania", he produced a Canadian flag in honour of his birthland. The event was broadcast on BBC 1 and 2, on BBC Radio 3 and online and by broadcasters around the world.

Doctor Atomic album releasedSunday 15 July 2018Nonesuch Records has released the new recording of Doctor Atomic by John Adams, with Gerald Finley in the lead role of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Julia Bullock as Kitty Oppenheimer, and Brindley Sherratt as General Leslie Groves. The BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers performed the opera in concert in April 2017 from which this recording is taken.

Gerald Finley Invested as CBEMonday 2 July 2018Gerald Finley was invested as a Commander of the British Empire (C.B.E.) at Buckingham Palace, by Prince Charles. He was appointed in the 2017 Birthday Honours List.

Gerald Finley at the Last Night of the Proms 2018Saturday 28 April 2018Gerald Finley has been announced as the singer soloist at the BBC Last Night of the Proms 2018, on September 8 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He joins Jess Gillam, saxophonist. This prestigious event is the annual culmination of the Proms series promoted by the BBC over 75 concerts, and is broadcast live on television and to cinemas and outside venues across the world. He will sing Stanford's Songs of the Sea and Richard Rodger's "Soliloquy" from Carousel.

Gerald Finley appointed CBE in Queen's Birthday Honours list 2017Sunday 25 June 2017Gerald Finley has been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, it was announced as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours List 2017.

Mr. Finley commented, "This is a huge honour and one for which I am deeply grateful. My fervent wish is to continue to pass on the joy and wonder to the world of music that already exists and music that is yet to come."

Mr Finley was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2014.

Gerald Finley on Canada Post Stamp CollectionSunday 5 February 2017Celebrate Canadian opera with a booklet of 10 permanent domestic stamps honouring two significant Canadian-penned operas and three talented individuals who helped to put modern Canadian opera talent on the world stage.

The booklet from Canada Post contains five pairs of stamps, The first three stamps shine the spotlight on award-winning bass baritone Gerald Finley, internationally-acclaimed soprano Adrianne Pieczonka, and late director Irving Guttman. The final two stamps honour the Canadian operas Louis Riel and Filumena.

NEW ALBUM RELEASE: Gerald Finley sings SibeliusWednesday 18 January 2017Chandos Records have released a unique album of orchestral songs by Sibelius performed by Gerald Finley with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Edward Gardner.

The album offers orchestrations, by Sibelius and others, of songs which Sibelius originally wrote for voice and piano, and includes the premiere recording of In the Stream of Life, seven songs orchestrated by Rautavaara for his friend, Gerald Finley. Throughout, the poetry perfectly reflects the instinctively felt relation between Finnish nature and Sibelius’s music.

Gerald Finley at the Met Opera Shop Nov 3Wednesday 2 November 2016Gerald Finley signs CDs of EMI/Warner Classics recording of Guillaume Tell at the Met Opera Shop on Thursday 3 November at 3 p.m. The bass-baritone, who sings the title role in Rossini's final masterpiece, is in the middle of the run of performances at the Metropolitan Opera, which has received universal critical acclaim for the singing performances.

Becoming Don Giovanni - A photo documentarySaturday 15 October 2016The photographer Sim Canetty-Clarke has photographed Gerald Finley as he performed the role of Don Giovanni in five productions around the world giving a unique insight both on-stage and backstage.
You can view a selection of these photos online and a limited edition are available for purchase.

Gerald Finley nominated at the International Opera AwardsMonday 7 March 2016Gerald Finley has been nomiated for the Opera magazine Readers’ Award at the International Opera Awards.
The winner will be announced at the ceremony in London on Sunday 15th May, 2016.

Barbican Centre Featured Artist 2016-2017Sunday 31 January 2016The Canadian bass-baritone features throughout the season – showcasing his magnificent, authorative voice in everything from Tosti to contemporary commissions.

Opening with a recital with long-time collaborator at the opera house Sir Antonio Pappano accompanying, the series also takes in a Kaija Saariaho BBC co-commission bespoke for his voice, the lead role in John Adams's Doctor Atomic – a part he won a Grammy with in 2012 – and a public masterclass with Guildhall Musicians, so we can can all share in the artistry of one of today's finest performers.

Gerald Finley receives the Order of CanadaWednesday 18 November 2015His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, today presented Gerald Finley with the Order of Canada at an investiture ceremony at Rideau Hall, Ottawa.

Gerald Finley receives Honorary Doctorate of LettersFriday 13 November 2015On October 24, 2015 Gerald Finley received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from The University of Saskatchewan. He was honoured to receive the distinction from Chancellor Blaine Favel (left) on the same day that President Peter Stoicheff (right) was inducted, with proposal from Dr. Garry Gable (far right)

Guillaume Tell at the Royal Opera HouseSaturday 4 July 2015Excellent reviews for Gerald Finley's portrayal of William Tell at the Royal Opera House. The performance on Sunday July 5 will be broadcast to cinemas worldwide and performances continue through July 17, 2015

"At the head of the cast Gerald Finley makes a wonderfully inspiring and stylish William Tell" - The Financial Times "Finley makes a great Tell, noble, eloquent, at once angry yet tender as his political awareness grows" - The Guardian"Finley’s magnificent, headstrong almost bullying portrayal of Tell" - The TimesGerald Finley made a sturdily noble Tell, heart-wrenching as he prepares his son for the fateful crossbow shot - The Telegraph"Gerald Finley articulates Tell's agonies with immense authority - Evening Standard"The Canadian bass-baritone Gerald Finley was magnificent as William Tell" - Express

DORA AWARD WINNER!Thursday 25 June 2015Congratulations to Gerald Finley for winning the 'Outstanding Performance - Male' award at the Dora Awards in Toronto this week for Falstaff. It was one of 5 awards won for Falstaff and the Canadian Opera Company team.

8 Doro Awards nominations for Falstaff!Sunday 7 June 2015Congratulations to Gerald Finley and the cast of the Canadian Opera Company's Falstaff for their 8 Dora Award nominations including in the categories of 'Outstanding Performance - Male', 'Outstanding Performance - Ensemble' and 'Outstanding Production'. The winners will be announced on June 22nd.

Saariaho premiere at LA PhilharmonicSaturday 16 May 2015Gerald Finley was delighted to perform the world premiere of Kaija Saariaho's work for baritone and orchestra called "True Fire" with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil on Thursday 14 May 2015. The LA Times calls it "a profound, important work".

Juilliard Live Stream MasterclassMonday 4 May 2015On Thursday May 7th at 4 PM EDT, Gerald Finley will be the guest of Juilliard for their final Vocal Masterclass of the season. 4 young singers present song repertoire for the class which is being streamed live by Juilliard School and will last until 6 pm EDT. Join us!

The Rake's Progress at The Metropolitan OperaSaturday 2 May 2015Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress returns to The Metropolitan Opera with Paul Appleby, Layla Claire, Gerald Finley, Stephanie Blythe and Brindley Sherratt, conducted by James Levine.

Opera News Awards 2015Thursday 23 April 2015Gerald Finley attended the Tenth Annual Opera News Awards in New York on Sunday and presented an award to his esteemed colleague Samuel Ramey.
Piotr Beczala, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Sondra Radvanovsky and Teresa Stratas were also awarded at this special event.Opera News Awards 2015

BBC Music Magazine Award for Die Meistersinger - GlyndebourneThursday 9 April 2015The 2015 BBC Music Magazine Award for Opera went to the CD of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski, of the Glyndebourne production of 2011, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Gerald Finley as Hans Sachs, Anna Gabler as Eva, and Johannes Martin Kränzle as Beckmesser and the Glyndebourne Chorus. Special mention goes to recording engineer Sebastien Chonion for putting together the live to disc performances. The award was by public vote, making it especially gratifying to all concerned.BBC Music Magazine Awards

JUNO Award winner 2015!Sunday 15 March 2015Congratulations to Gerald Finley and Julius Drake for winning Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance at The JUNO Awards 2015 for their recording of Schubert's Winterreise.

NEW Release! Liszt Songs vol. 3 Hyperion RecordsMonday 2 March 2015Hyperion Records announces the release of the third volume of songs by Franz Liszt, performed by the multi-award-winning partnership of Gerald Finley and Julius Drake. It is their tenth album on the Hyperion label and adds a wonderful selection of some never previously recorded songs for low voice to the catalogue, and includes the Petrarch Sonnets in a version specifically for Baritone.

"Gerald Finley, an inspiring champion of Liszt's music" - The Financial Times

Tannhäuser at Lyric OperaSunday 1 March 2015This week sees the final two performances of Wagner's Tannhäuser at Lyric Opera of Chicago with Johan Botha in the title role, Amber Wagner as Elisabeth, Michaela Schuster as Venus, John Relyea as Landgraf and Gerald Finley as Wolfram. Press comments have been enthusiastic such as "grand singing" from the Chicago Tribune and "powerhouse voices" from the Sun-Times

Die Meistersinger at Opéra de ParisWednesday 4 February 2015Opera de Paris has just announced that Gerald Finley will sing Hans Sachs in the Stefan Herheim production of Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in March 2016, conducted by Philippe Jordan.

Canada JUNO Award 2015 nominationWednesday 28 January 2015Gerald Finley's recording of Schubert's Winterreise with Julius Drake has been nominated in the Classical Album Vocal or Choral Performance category at this year's Juno Awards, celebrating the music of Canadian artists. The winners will be announced on 14 March in Hamilton, Ontario. For clarity, the rapper Drake has no connection to the excellent work of the pianist on this recording, although we wish him well in his own nominations for Fan Choice and Single of the Year!

BBC Music Magazine Award voting open!Monday 26 January 2015Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg from Glyndebourne starring Gerald Finley as Hans Sachs has been nominated in the Opera category of the BBC Music Magazine Awards 2015. Details of how you can vote can be found here:

Finally, Gerald Finley and Julius Drake's Winterreise recording on Hyperion Records has been nominated for Album of the Year by CBC Music. and is one of Gramophone Magazine's Recordings of the Year 2014.

Two award nominations!Sunday 30 November 2014Gerald Finley is one of twenty Canadian artists nominated for 'album of the year' by CBC Music. His Winterreise disc on Hyperion Records with Julius Drake is the only classical album nominated in this category. It is a public vote, so please support if you can: CBC Music Awards

In addition to this, Gerald Finley's Shostakovich disc with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra for Ondine has been nominated for best 'Vocal Recital' at the International Classical Music Awards 2015. The winners will be announced on January 20, 2015.International Classical Music Awards

Opera in Vienna and MunichSunday 16 November 2014For his final performances of 2014 Gerald Finley returns to the Wiener Staatsoper as The Forester in The Cunning Little Vixen followed by performances as the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Bayerischer Staatsoper Munich.

Parsifal DVD releasedTuesday 4 November 2014The DVD and Blu-Ray of the Royal Opera House production of Parsifal has been released by Opus Arte/Warner Classics. The Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano are joined by Rene Pape as Gurnemanz, Simon O'Neill as Parsifal, Angela Denoke as Kundry, Sir Willard White as Klingsor, Robert Lloyd as Titurel and Gerald Finley as Amfortas. The production is by Stephen Langridge with sets and costumes by Alison Chitty.

Gerald Finley on the radioSunday 19 October 2014Tonight on The New Classical 96.3 & 103.1 FM you can listen to Gerald Finley co-hosting a Falstaff themed 'Sunday Night at the Opera' from 7-10pm.Sunday Night at the Opera

On Saturday October 18 Gerald Finley hosted 'This is My Music' on CBC Radio 2. Each Saturday morning, 'This is My Music' is hosted by one of Canada's foremost international classical artists. The host selects a program of mainly classical music and presents it with personal anecdotes and insights.
You can listen again online: This is My Music

Falstaff at the Canadian Opera CompanyFriday 3 October 2014Gerald Finley returns to the Canadian Opera Company tonight for the first time in over 20 years making his role debut as Falstaff. There are 7 performances finishing on November 1.
This production by Robert Carsen has an all Canadian cast and opens the Canadian Opera's 2014/2015 season.

You can learn more about Gerald Finley's transformation into the role of Falstaff in the interviews and videos below:

New album release: Fauré RequiemMonday 15 September 2014The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge performs alongside The Orchestra of The Age of Enlightenment in this new release Fauré Requiem. Under the direction of Stephen Cleobury, the Choir has faithfully recreated the 1889 premiere, even using the organ stops available to the organist at the Cathedrale de Ste. Madeleine in Paris. The instruments and techniques used by the orchestra are typical of those used in a French orchestra of the late 19th century.

They were joined by former King's choral scholar, the baritone Gerald Finley, to make the first recording of Marc Rigaudière’s new reconstruction of the first complete liturgical performance of Fauré’s Requiem.

The Pie Jesu is sung by treble Tom Pickard, a chorister at King’s College school.

The Opera Canada Awards: the RubiesFriday 5 September 2014Gerald Finley will be Master of Ceremonies at The Rubies - The Opera Canada Awards in Toronto on October 6, 2014.

The Opera Canada Awards (The Rubies) were established in 1999 to recognize and honour outstanding individual achievements on stage and behind the scenes. This year the recipients include Rosemarie Landry and Adrianne Pieczonka.

At the top of KilimanjaroFriday 22 August 2014Gerald Finley has returned safely from the top of Kilimanjaro, after raising over £5000 for Help Musicians UK, a charity that assists musicians in times of crisis or need. He was joined by his sons Daniel and Steven, and in tribute to the guides he sang a few lines from Hans Sachs' final aria at the summit.

Double Gramophone Award nominationFriday 1 August 2014It was announced today that Gerald Finley has two nominations in this year's Gramophone Awards. The first is for his performance of Die Winterreise with Julius Drake on Hyperion Records. The other was for the CD of Die Meistersinger, recorded at the highly acclaimed performances at Glyndebourne in 2011.
The winners for each of the eight categories will be announced on 27 August. The awards will then be presented at a ceremony on 17 September, when the Recording of the Year will also be announced.

Season FinaleThursday 24 July 2014Gerald Finley rounds off a very busy season with final appearances as Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro at the Bayerische Staatsoper and then in London at the BBC Prom of the National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales in Duruflé's Requiem at the Royal Albert Hall on July 27.

Appointment to the Order of CanadaMonday 30 June 2014Gerald Finley is honoured to receive the appointment as Officer of the Order of Canada, announced today. The Order serves to recognise distinguished contributions to Canada and humanity. "I am very honoured to receive this appointment, and I look forward to singing in Canada soon, as Verdi's Falstaff with the Canadian Opera Company in October 2014. I also enjoy sharing the passion with younger singers through classes and programmes. Singing enriches all of us."

The Cunning Little Vixen at the Vienna State OperaSaturday 28 June 2014Otto Schenk's new production of The Cunning Little Vixen at the Vienna State Opera has received great critical acclaim. The production, conducted by Franz Welser-Möst, stars Chen Reiss as The Vixen and Gerald Finley as The Forester.

25th Anniversary Concert at the Wigmore HallSaturday 31 May 2014Tonight's concert at the Wigmore Hall in London marks not only the finale of Gerald Finley's 2013/2014 Wigmore Residency but the 25th Anniversary of performances as this prestigious venue. With the pianist Julius Drake, Gerald Finley will perform Schubert’s ‘Schwanengesang’, and give the world première of Einojuhani Rautavaara’s ‘Rubáiyát’, a song cycle written specially for him.

Gerald Finley to climb Kilimanjaro for Help Musicians UK!Saturday 24 May 2014Having stepped into the role of Mr September for their Opera Offstage calendar back in 2013, internationally acclaimed Grammy and Gramophone award-winning baritone Gerald Finley will once again be showing his support for musicians across the UK as he scales Kilimanjaro this August for Help Musicians UK.

Le nozze di Figaro reviewsSaturday 24 May 2014Great reviews from Gerald Finley's return to the Royal Opera House, London for performances as Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro!
He will return to the Royal Opera House next season in the title role of William Tell.

"Finley just gets better and better in this role" - The Independent"Gerald Finley gives a marvellous performance as the Count, combining an imperious grandeur befitting his title with an undercurrent of lechery. Add a magnificently strong voice which sounds deceptively effortless and we have perfect casting for the role" - Daily Express"His masterly portrayal of a man in midlife crisis sees the character in all its petulance from the inside and his rich, dark baritone has the entire household on the hop" - Sunday Express

Gerald Finley on YouTubeSaturday 3 May 2014Gerald Finley now has an official YouTube page where you can find interviews, masterclasses and some of his most popular clips from opera, concert and recital performances. Be sure to subscribe to be kept up to date!

Shostakovich CD releaseTuesday 1 April 2014Ondine Records has released the world premiere recording of the English version of Romances on Verses by British Poets, and the Italian version of the Suite on Verses by Michelangelo Buonarotti.

Further 2014-2015 season announcementsMonday 31 March 2014It has today been announced that Gerald Finley will return to the Royal Opera House, London in their 2014/2015 season to perform the title role of William Tell in a new production directed by Damiano Michieletto and conducted by Antonio Pappano opening on June 29, 2015. Gerald Finley will also return to the Vienna State Opera in the 2014/2015 season reprising his role of The Forester in The Cunning Little Vixen opening on November 8, 2014.

Winterreise CD releaseSunday 23 February 2014Gerald Finley and Julius Drake's recording of Schubert's Winterreise will be released by Hyperion Records on March 3rd in the UK, in Europe on March 7th and in the US and Canada on March 11th.

This week, CBC Radio 2 In Concert has chosen the CD as 'Classical disc of the week'- "This new recording of Winterreise with Gerald Finley is a profound marriage of music and words that you'll want to own"

"This account of Winterreise is a triumph"
"The sheer quality of Gerald Finley’s singing is magnificent"
"All Lieder collectors should hasten to hear this" - www.musicweb-international.com

2014-2015 season announcementsSunday 16 February 2014Several exciting new dates have now been announced for the 2014-2015 season.

Gerald Finley will be making his role debut as Falstaff with the Canadian Opera Company in October 2014.
In February 2015 he will make his role debut as Wolfram in Tannhäuser with the Lyric Opera in Chicago.
Finally, in May 2015 he will return to the Metropolitan Opera to perform Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress.

Winterreise North American recital tourThursday 23 January 2014Following performances in Europe, Gerald Finley and Julius Drake start their 8 date North American recital tour January 26th finishing in New York on February 13th.

Winterreise performance tour and CD releaseSaturday 21 December 2013In mid-January 2014, Gerald Finley and Julius Drake will perform Schubert's Winterreise at London's Wigmore Hall, in Alicante, Spain, and then on an eight performance tour in the US and Canada from Vancouver to New York. Hyperion Records will release the CD recording and on iTunes in March 2014.

Parsifal at the Royal Opera HouseFriday 29 November 2013On November 30th Gerald Finley will return to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden making his role debut as Amfortas in a new production of Parsifal directed by Stephen Langridge and conducted by Antonio Pappano. Performances continue on December 2, 5, 11, 15 and 18. The final performance will be broadcast in cinemas worldwide.

New release: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg on CDMonday 11 November 2013The CD of 2011 production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg with Gerald Finley as Hans Sachs has been released by Glyndebourne. The celebrated performances were conducted by Vladimir Jurowski with the London Philharmonic Orchestra

"…Finley's singing has never been more beautiful…an unforgettable performance" - Scotsman

Wigmore Hall 2014 Residency announcedSunday 3 November 2013Gerald Finley will undertake his first residency with Julius Drake at London's Wigmore Hall during the first part of 2014.

Finley’s residency opens with Schubert's Winterreise on January 15, continues with works by Sibelius and Liszt on March 29 before returning to late Schubert on May 31 with "Schwanengesang" and the world premiere of a new cycle based on Fitzgerald's version of Omar Khayyam's "Rubaiyat" by Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara.

Royal College of Music MasterclassMonday 16 September 2013This Wednesday 18th September, Gerald Finley returns to the RCM for a masterclass with top level singers from the College. There will be a live stream of the event at 1400 BST which you can access here...RCM live!

Gerald Finley returns to the Salzburg FestivalSunday 25 August 2013Gerald Finley makes his role debut as Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte at the 2013 Salzburg Festival. This completes the da Ponte trilogy in Salzburg with Gerald having performed the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro and the title role of Don Giovanni previously.

Recording of the month in Gramophone Magazine!Wednesday 21 August 2013Gerald Finley's recording with Concentus Musicus Wien and Nikolaus Harnoncourt is 'Recording of the Month' in the September 2013 issue of Gramophone Magazine.

"Gerald Finley is a tower of strength as Owen Wingrave, completely believable as the sturdy but sensitive scion of an upper-crust family" - Gramophone Magazine

"Gerald Finley is Owen. In musical matters, his work, as might be expected, is beyond reproach, the tone solid from top to bottom, the text firmly bound to the musical line. But what truly distinguishes Finley's performance is his physical presence. He is well past military-school age here, to be sure. But he makes the character convincing through his dramatic alertness: behind his darting, perceptive eyes we sense a lively mind at work" - Opera News Magazine

New release: Missa Solemnis DVDSunday 26 May 2013Gerald Finley's performance of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis with Nikolaus Harnoncourt, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Netherlands Radio Choir has now been released on DVD and Blu-ray

The performance was recorded live from the Royal Concertgebouw in April 2012. Watch the trailer here: Missa Solemnis trailer

Toronto Symphony Orchestra concertsFriday 24 May 2013Gerald Finley this week returned to Canada for concerts with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Peter Oundjian. It was the Canadian premiere of Peter Lieberson's Songs of Love and Sorrow which were originally written for Gerald Finley and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In the second half of the concert he was joined by soprano Klara Ek and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir for Brahms' German Requiem.

"The star of the evening was Finley, the Canadian expat who can do nothing wrong with his deep, oaken voice. He sang his solos in the Brahms Requiem with a deceptive ease. He also charmed from beginning to the end of the evening’s first work, the Songs of Love and Sorrow, a three-year-old setting for Finley of five sonnets by poet Pablo Neruda. The orchestral accompaniment is full of all sorts of fascinating embellishments, which were the gilding on Finley’s mesmerizing performance" - The Toronto Star

"Finley was superb". "Finley sang these songs with perfect beauty, feeling and understanding, and made their emotional life real" - Globe and Mail

2013-14 Season announced!Tuesday 7 May 2013Gerald Finley’s 2013-14 season plan is shaping up to be full of variety and pleasure. After the cynical Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte at this summer’s Salzburger Festspiele, he dons pastoral garb in September as Père Laurence in Berlioz’ Roméo et Juliette in Cologne, Lucerne, Madrid and London with the Philharmonia Orchestra. He then assumes the role of Amfortas in the new production of Wagner’s Parsifal at Covent Garden. He makes Schubert's Winterreise with Julius Drake his winter recital tour in North America in January-February 2014, from London’s Wigmore Hall to Vancouver Recital Society, San Francisco Cal Performances, Boston Jordan Hall, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Zankel- Carnegie Hall, with a Wigmore Hall residency in March and May, featuring songs by Sibelius, Liszt and Schubert’s Schwanengesang. Mozart’s Count at Covent Garden in April, is followed by Mozart’s Figaro at the Bayerische Staatsoper Munich in July, as well as the Forester in a new production of the Cunning Little Vixen at the Vienna State Opera in June. Concerts include Beethoven 9th at the BBC Proms as well as with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam and London Philharmonic Orchestra in Feb 2014. Further concerts with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bayerisches Rundfunk Orchestra and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, in music by Shostakovich, Sibelius, Dallapiccola and Mahler complete a full and extremely wide ranging season.

2013 JUNO Awards nominationTuesday 19 February 2013Congratulations to Gerald Finley who has today been nominated for Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance at The JUNO Awards 2013.
This nomination is for his Schumann Liederkreis recording with Julius Drake on Hyperion Records / Harmonia Mundi Distribution Canada. The awards ceremony will take place in April.

Recital tour and BBC BroadcastSaturday 19 January 2013Gerald Finley and Julius Drake are currently enjoying a successful European recital tour, having now performed in Amsterdam, Strasbourg, Antwerp, London and Vienna.
The tour continues next week where they will then visit Manchester and Salzburg.

Their performance from the Wigmore Hall in London is available to listen to on BBC iPlayer for the next few days: BBC iPlayer Radio 3 broadcast
The second Vienna performance was recorded for broadcast on Austrian radio on January 30 at 19.30.

European recital tour January 2013 - Vienna Musikverein articleSaturday 29 December 2012Ahead of Gerald Finley's recitals in Vienna on January 17 and 18, 2013 he is interviewed for their in house magazine.
Gerald Finley and Julius Drake will be touring Europe throughout January including performances Italy, France, Belgium, Holland, Austria and the UK.document: Vienna Musikverein article page 2

Official Gerald Finley Facebook PageThursday 27 December 2012There is now an official Facebook page for Gerald Finley.

All the latest news and pictures will be posted there so please 'like' the page to be kept up to date!

Gerald Finley's recital recorded this summer at Ottawa Chamberfest will air on CBC Radio 2 in Canada on Sunday January 6, 2013. It will be part of the In Concert program between 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM.CBC Radio 2 In Concert

Gerald Finley in New YorkTuesday 20 November 2012Gerald Finley has just completed a successful series of opera performances, concerts and masterclasses in New York.

His return to The Metropolitan Opera, this time as the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro, garnered critical acclaim including "As her wayward spouse, Gerald Finley sang and acted splendidly. His tone was warm and compact, his every word uttered with punch, and his person radiated an arrogant and covetous sense of entitlement that slowly unravelled as the plot hurtled Count Almaviva to his final humiliation. There is no more searching and consistently superb performer in opera today than Finley" The Classical Review

He performed at the 2012 Richard Tucker Gala which will premiere on PBS on December 13, 2012 as part of the "Live from Lincoln Center" series and took time to work with students both at The Juilliard School and on the Lindemann Young Artist Development Programme at The Metropolitan Opera.

Musicians Benevolent Fund Charity 2013 CalendarSunday 28 October 2012The Musicians Benevolent Fund has launched ‘Opera Offstage’ a charity 2013 calendar featuring some best loved opera stars enjoying precious time off. The calendar includes Gerald Finley as the September featured artist and is available at selected stockists:Opera Offstage Calendar

Opera Canada Rubies winnerSaturday 20 October 2012This week Gerald Finley was one of the recipients of the Opera Canada Rubies awards alongside Michael McMahon and Janet Stubbs. The Opera Canada Awards were established to recognize and celebrate outstanding achievement by Canadians in opera at home and abroad, on stage and behind the scenes.

New Schumann CD announced for October 2012 releaseTuesday 10 July 2012Hyperion Records has announced the release date for the latest CD from the award winning pair of performers Gerald Finley and Julius Drake. Schumann's two Liederkreis op. 39 and 24, as well as op. 36 will be issued on October 1, 2012.

A summer of festivalsSaturday 16 June 2012Gerald Finley will this summer perform at festivals both sides of the Atlantic.

You can see him perform at the following: BBC Proms, Grafanegg Music Festival, Schwarzernberg Schubertiade, Toronto Summer Music Festival, Westben Festival, Tanglewood Festival, Ottawa Chamber Music Festival and Ravinia Festival.

BBC Radio 3 Monday 23 April 2012Every day this week on Essential Classics Gerald Finley is celebrated as 'Artist of the Week' on BBC Radio 3. Listen each morning from 9am.

Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan OperaFriday 24 February 2012Gerald Finley returns to the Metropolitan Opera performing the title role of Don Giovanni in Michael Grandage's production conducted by Andrew Davis. Performances continue until March 17.

Mr Finley will be interviewed for the Metropolitan Opera Guild on March 8 as part of their 'The Singer's Studio' series and will give a masterclass for members of the Lindemann Young Artists Development Programme on March 16.
A Met Shop signing will be announced shortly. See the Calendar for further details

Grammy Win for Dr. AtomicMonday 13 February 2012Doctor Atomic by John Adams won the Best Opera Recording at this year's Grammy Awards. The Sony DVD recording was of Penny Woolcock's 2008 production at the Metropolitan Opera, conducted by Alan Gilbert. Congratulations to all involved, Sasha Cooke, Meredith Arwady, Eric Owens, Thomas Glenn, Richard Paul Fink, and a special tribute to all the scientists on the original Manhattan project who wrestled with their consciences in the most incredible of human endeavours.

2012 Grammy nominationSunday 15 January 2012For the second year in a row, Gerald Finley is delighted to be part of a Grammy nominated recording. Doctor Atomic (Adams) has been nominated for Best Opera Recording. This landmark recording was conducted by Alan Gilbert with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus for Sony Classical.
The award ceremony will take place in LA on February 12th.

TMA Award 2011 nominationTuesday 11 October 2011Theatrical Management Association has announced that Gerald Finley has been nominated in the Outstanding Achievement in Opera category for his portrayal of Hans Sachs in Glyndebourne's 2011 production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. The awards will be announced on 30 October at London's Royal Banqueting Hall.

Gramophone Award Winner Solo Vocal 2011Saturday 8 October 2011Gramophone has announced that the CD of Britten's Songs and Proverbs is this year's winner in the Solo Vocal category of the Gramophone Awards 2011. Gerald Finley and Julius Drake are thrilled that this disc should be honoured thus, and it proves the third win in this category for this team in four years. Julius Drake thanked the production team and the Hyperion label, who are delighted at the repeat win.2011 Gramophone AwardsHyperion Records

2011/2012 Season HighlightsSaturday 1 October 2011Gerald Finley began the 2011/12 season with a return to the Schubertiade Festival, presenting songs by Loewe, Schumann and Schubert.

On the opera stage, audiences can look forward to his first Escamillo, for Munich State Opera, as well as a return in the New Year to both the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera for one of his signature roles, Don Giovanni. In June, he will make his debut at the Vienna State Opera in another key role, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro.

Throughout the season he will appear with several major orchestras, including the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Mariss Jansons in Mozart’s Requiem and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis under Nikolaus Harnoncourt, the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle in works by Janàcek and Barber, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Jiri Behlolavek in John Harbison’s Symphony no 5 and the Deutsches Symphonieorchester Berlin in Schubert’s Lazarus. Later in the season, he will appear at the Theater an der Wien in Beethoven’s ‘Christus am Ölberge’. He will give the UK premiere of Peter Lieberson’s Songs of Love and Sorrow with the RSNO in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Song recital highlights include the world premiere of Huw Watkins’ Look down, fair moon at London’s Wigmore Hall, as part of a recital with Julius Drake, with whom he will also record a further CD of songs by Robert Schumann for Hyperion. Additionally, there are appearances at New York’s Alice Tully Hall, in Madrid, Brussels and again at the Schubertiade in June in programmes including Winterreise.

Double 2011 Gramophone Awards nomination!Saturday 20 August 2011Gerald Finley has been nominated in two separate categories at this years Gramophone Awards.
Firstly in the Solo Vocal category for Britten: Songs & Proverbs of William Blake with Julius Drake for Hyperion. In addition to this he is also nominated as part of the cast of Verdi's Otello in the Opera category with the LSO and Sir Colin Davis for LSO Live.
The Awards ceremony will take place in London on October 6, 2011.

New release: Anna NicoleSaturday 6 August 2011The most talked about new opera of 2011, Mark-Anthony Turnage's Anna Nicole, with libretto by Richard Thomas, has now been released on DVD and Blu-ray.
Eva-Maria Westbroek stars as Anna Nicole with Gerald Finley as Howard Stern.
The hit production at the Royal Opera House in January 2011 was directed by Richard Jones and conducted by Antonio Pappano.

New release: Guillaume TellSaturday 16 July 2011EMI Records has released the CD of Guillaume Tell, with Gerald Finley in the title role. It has already received excellent critical acclaim and is hailed as another success in the cooperation between EMI and the Accademia di Santa Cecilia live performances, conducted by Antonio Pappano.

"In the title role, Gerald Finley is at the top of his game"
- BBC Music Magazine

A Don Giovanni SummerFriday 15 July 2011The performance on July 14 as Don Giovanni at Munich's Festspiele not only marked the debut of Gerald Finley at Munich's Staatsoper, but also began the summer series of performances of Don Giovanni that continue into August at the Salzburg Festival with performances on 18, 20, 23, 27, 29 August. Merkur interview

New release: The Ballad SingerSunday 12 June 2011This latest release from the multi-award-winning partnership of Gerald Finley and Julius Drake features a literary and musical form which inspired the greatest voices of German Romanticism and includes selections from the ever-popular English ballad tradition. The foremost poets and composers of the age saw the ballad as a direct link to the folk-minstrels of the past. Frequently ghoulish and sensational in character, ballads satisfied the popular taste for the Gothic. This disc contains some of the greatest examples of the form, including Schubert’s Erlkönig, as well as some fascinating and lesser-known works.

Gerald Finley’s unrivalled gift for characterization and story-telling, honed both on the stages of opera houses around the world and through his extraordinary Lieder recordings, makes him the ideal performer of these works.

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at GlyndebourneSunday 22 May 2011Gerald Finley yesterday made his role debut as Hans Sachs at the Glyndebourne Festival in a new production by David McVicar conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.

"a significant night for Gerald Finley whose Hans Sachs could well prove to be the pinnacle of his career... the beauty and intelligence of his singing, the clarity of his words and toughness and charisma of his persona dominated the stage"

"We left Glyndebourne with the chorus’s “hymn to Sachs” still resonating across the Sussex downs. It was a moment that clearly floored Finley as much as the standing ovation greeting his curtain-call." Edward Seckerson - The Independent

"Gerald Finley is glorious" Richard Morrison - The Times

"Finley, silencing concerns that the role would defeat him, is extraordinary both vocally and dramatically" Tim Ashley - The Guardian

"Along with Jurowski, the evening belongs to Gerald Finley as Hans Sachs" John Allison - Seven Magazine, The Telegraph

"First among the many great strengths of Glyndebourne’s new production of Wagner’s comedy is Gerald Finley, performing Hans Sachs for the first time" Rupert Christensen - The Telegraph

"he sings gloriously, and in the dark "Wahn!" moment, when Sachs reflects on the madness of life, began to express that terrible, soul-searching struggle which leads to wisdom. When he took his bow, Finley looked humbled by the roar of cheers which greeted him" Fiona Maddocks - The Observer

"Undertaking the central role of Sachs for the first time, the mellifluous baritone Gerald Finley sings beautifully, making telling moments of each of the famous monologues. His performance is lovely to hear" George Loomis - New York Times

"Gerald Finley, in his role début as Hans Sachs, marshals his vocal resources to perfection, with a text-responsive line and beauty of tone" Barry Millington - The Evening Standard

"Finley, who started his career in the Glyndebourne chorus, was the star of the show" Jonathan Lynn - Reuters

"With Gerald Finley singing his first Hans Sachs, there are further delights too. His warm, overtone-rich voice sails over the orchestra, and his complex interpretation of the cobbler-poet as world weary and angry is intriguing" Warwick Thompson - Bloomberg

"But the real triumph is Gerald Finley’s magnificent central performance as Nuremburg’s cobbler-philosopher, Hans Sachs. Finley makes the role his own — warm and secure of voice and finding all the passion and compassion in this complex character" David Gillard - The Daily Mail

"But the evening belongs to baritone Gerald Finley, whose incarnation of the cobbler-poet casts an all-embracing glow...as he laments the vanity of human existence in his Act Three soliloquy Finley’s singing has never been more beautiful. Here his presence tempers authority with an amused, avuncular tenderness: an unforgettable performance" Michael Church - The Scotsman

2011 Juno Awards Winner!Sunday 27 March 2011Gerald Finley won the Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance category for his Great Operatic Arias disc at last night's ceremony in Toronto, his second Juno Award.

In accepting his award he thanked the Peter Moores Foundation, Chandos, SRI, Edward Gardner and the LPO.

Anna Nicole at the Royal Opera HouseThursday 24 February 2011The world premiere of Mark Anthony Turnage's new opera Anna Nicole is presented by the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The cast includes Eva-Maria Westbroek as Anna Nicole, Gerald Finley as Howard K. Stern, Alan Oke as octagenarian billionaire J. Howard Marshall II and Susan Bickley as Virgie, Anna's mother. A tale of celebrity and the hazards of media obsession, the libretto by Richard Thomas, known for his show "Jerry Springer: The Opera" and directed by the inventive and celebrated Richard Jones, this opera was commissioned by the Royal Opera and is conducted by their Music Director, Antonio Pappano. Performances continue on February 26, March 1 and 4, 2011.

It will be broadcast on BBC Four on March 25 and will be available on DVD at a future date.

2011 Juno Awards nominationThursday 3 February 2011Gerald Finley is delighted to once again be nominated for a Canadian Juno award. He is nominated in the Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance category for his Great Operatic Arias disc on Chandos/SRI conducted by Edward Gardner with the LPO. The highly acclaimed CD features Adam's Batter my Heart from the opera Dr. Atomic, and favourites from Carmen, Otello and Tosca as well as Some Enchanted Evening.

The awards ceremony will take place in Toronto on March 26 and broadcast on CTV on March 27.

2011 Grammy nominationThursday 3 February 2011Gerald Finley is pleased to be soloist on the recording nominated in the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards on February 13. The CD of Bach Cantatas has been nominated in the category Best Choral Performance. The highly acclaimed CD is conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and features the Arnold Schönberg Choir and Concentus Musicus, and is on the Deutsche Harmonia Mundi label

Plus, on New Year's Day you can listen live to the international broadcast of Pelléas et Mélisande from the Metropolitan Opera at 12.00EST. The broadcast can be heard over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network, which includes over 300 stations in the United States and stations in 40 countries on five continents. These countries include Canada, Mexico, 27 European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, China, and Japan. You can also listen on Sirius: Sirius Metropolitan Opera Radio

Pelléas et Mélisande at The Metropolitan OperaTuesday 21 December 2010This week, Gerald Finley returned to The Metropolitan Opera performing Golaud, in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande. The fantastic cast inlcudes Magdalena Kožená and Stephane Degout, with the conductor Sir Simon Rattle making his debut. Performances continue on December 23rd, 29th and on January 1st.

"Mr. Finley, who triumphed at the Met in the title role of John Adams’s “Doctor Atomic,” was superb as Golaud. While not overpowering, his voice is dark, virile and generous. He is that rare operatic artist who even when singing lyrically, sounds like he is speaking with the directness of a great actor." - New York Times

"With his strong, at times achingly beautiful baritone sound, Gerald Finley made Golaud's transition from tenderness to rage painful to witness." - San Francisco Chronicle

Guillaume Tell with the Accademia di Santa CeciliaMonday 25 October 2010Making his role debut as Guillaume Tell, Gerald Finley returned to Rome this week for concerts with the Accademia di Santa Cecilia and Antonio Pappano.

The performances were recorded by EMI for future release.

""An excellent cast, led by Gerald Finley, on magnificent form in the title role" Financial Times

"Gerald Finley could hardly be bettered in the title role. His French is impeccable, his tone round and filled with warmth, like the personality of Tell. He has a magnetic legato, which colours his delivery with a noteworthy musical intelligence, and is also supremely respectful of all Rossini’s indications" Seen and Heard

Les pêcheurs de perles at the Royal Opera HouseWednesday 6 October 2010Gerald Finley begins his 2010-2011 season by performing Les pêcheurs de perles in concert at the Royal Opera House, conducted by Antonio Pappano. Making his role debut as Zurga, his colleagues include Nicole Cabell and John Osborn.

There is one further performance tomorrow, October 7th, which will be recorded by BBC Radio 3 for broadcast on October 30th.

"Finley was in rampant form, projecting anguish and tremendous passion in a part that cruelly requires a baritone to climb to dizzying heights" The Times

Don Giovanni at the Glyndebourne FestivalTuesday 17 August 2010Having performed Don Giovanni all over the world, Gerald Finley returned to the Glyndebourne Festival this Summer in a new production by Jonathan Kent, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski. It was a welcome return for the artist who has appeared in many Glyndebourne productions since joining the Chorus in 1986 – not least in the title role of Le nozze di Figaro at the opening of the new house in 1994.

Performances continue until the end of August.

"Suavely ruthless, Finley was both steely monster and molten charmer, singing with a firmness, clarity and stylistic elegance that I can’t easily imagine surpassed" The Telegraph

You can watch this production online at www.medici.tv (excluding UK). It will be broadcast by the BBC later this year.

New release: Benjamin Britten, Songs & Proverbs of William BlakeSunday 13 June 2010The unbeatable, multi-award-winning partnership of Gerald Finley and Julius Drake turn to the composer Benjamin Britten for their latest Hyperion release. This disc contains Britten's two important song cycles for baritone: Tit for Tat, setting the poems of Walter de la Mare, and the more substantial and challenging Songs and Proverbs of William Blake, allowing a showcase for lyricism and dramatic characterization, qualities which are hallmarks of performances by Gerald Finley and Julius Drake.

"Canadian Gerald Finley proves once again that he is among today's finest singers and song interpreters, and here is another display of his awesome technique, commanding expression, and vocal beauty." classicstoday.com

"Gerald Finley: as good as singing gets"Saturday 8 May 2010Gerald Finley's recital tour with Julius Drake continued this week with a critically acclaimed performance at the Chan Shun Concert Hall in Vancouver, Canada. The Globe and Mail's review was titled "as good as singing gets" with further acclaim including "as a song recitalist, Finley is in a class of his own" and "Vocal recitals don’t get better than this".

The recital tour continues with performances in Toronto on May 9 and London on May 14.

Boston Symphony Orchestra world premiereTuesday 30 March 2010Gerald Finley has this week returned to the Boston Symphony Orchestra as soloist in the world premiere of Peter Lieberson’s 'Songs of Love and Sorrow', a cycle of five settings of poems from Pablo Neruda's Love Sonnets for baritone and orchestra.

North American recital tourSaturday 27 March 2010Gerald Finley and Julius Drake have recently completed their East Coast American recital tour, recieving great critical acclaim in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington and New York. The tour will continue with performances in Canada in Vancouver and Toronto in May. See the diary section for further information.

"Finley... has everything a singer’s toolbox needs — a gorgeous instrument, an ear for color, spot-on intonation. But the greater part of his charm, especially in songs of Ravel, Ives, and Barber, comes by way of his large gift for conveying a tale" Philadelphia Inquirer

Juno 2010 award nomination!Saturday 6 March 2010Gerald Finley is delighted to once again be nominated for a Canadian Juno award. He is nominated in the Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance category for his recital disc of Songs by Ravel with the pianist Julius Drake.

The awards ceremony will take place in St John's, NL on April 17 and broadcast on CTV on April 18.

Indie 2010 nomination!Tuesday 23 February 2010Gerald Finley has been nominated at the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards (Indies) for Favourite Classical Artist/Group.
The awards ceremony will take place in Toronto on March 13, 2010 as part of Canadian Music Week.

La Bohème at The Metropolitan OperaMonday 22 February 2010Gerald Finley this weekend returned to The Metropolitan Opera in La Bohème alongside Anna Netrebko, Piotr Beczala and Nicole Cabell. Performances continue on February 24, 27, March 2 and 6, 2010.

"The baritone Gerald Finley, last seen at the Met as J. Robert Oppenheimer in John Adams’s “Doctor Atomic” (a riveting portrayal of a role Mr. Finley created), is an immensely gifted and versatile artist and was excellent as the hot-headed painter Marcello. He sang with robust sound, honesty, intelligence and impressive Italian diction" - New York Times

CD Signing: New YorkMonday 15 February 2010Gerald Finley will be signing copies of his new Opera Arias album at Barnes and Noble in New York on February 25, to celebrate its American release. Further details can be found on the Lincoln Center Barnes and Noble website: Barnes and Noble

Peter Grimes wins South Bank Show AwardWednesday 27 January 2010English National Opera's production of Peter Grimes, in which Gerald Finley performed the role of Captain Balstrode, has won the accolade of Best Opera at the South Bank Show Awards.
The Awards Ceremony will be shown in Jan 31st at 22.15 on ITV1.

New release: Opera Arias CDThursday 4 February 2010On this his first arias disc, and first for the Chandos 'Opera in English' series, Gerald Finley explores a broad range of repertory: old favourites, hidden treasures and roles which he himself has created, among them J.Robert Oppenheimer in John Adams’s Doctor Atomic and Harry Heegan in Mark-Anthony Turnage’s The Silver Tassie.

English National Opera director, Edward Gardner offers a great understanding of Opera in English and conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra on this disc.

Iago with the London Symphony OrchestraSunday 20 December 2009Gerald Finley recently made his role debut as Iago in Otello in concert with the London Symphony Orchestra and Sir Colin Davis. These thrilling concerts were recorded for the LSO Live label. Some of the outstanding reviews are below:

"A tremendous performance" The Independent

"Gerald Finley was superb as Iago: insidiously sinister, yet sustaining a wonderfully suave line" The Times

"The most Italianate singing – and by far the best diction – came from Gerald Finley, not a singer hitherto known as a Verdi baritone. His Iago prompts a full reassessment: it had colour, character, credibility" Financial Times

"Gerald Finley was an arrestingly crisp and snakily plausible Iago" The Telegraph

European recital tourMonday 16 November 2009This week Gerald Finley and Julius Drake completed their European recital tour with a performance at the Berlin Philharmonie. This tour included performances in Brussels, The Hague and Madrid. They will tour North America in both March and May 2010.

New release: Within a DreamThursday 12 November 2009Gerald Finley is honoured to be part of a new album celebrating the recording career of Richard Hickox. The proceeds of ‘Within a Dream - A Celebration of Richard Hickox' will be donated to the Richard Hickox Foundation.

Winner of Best Solo Vocal at Gramophone Awards 2009Saturday 3 October 2009Gerald Finley and Julius Drake won this year's Gramophone Award for Solo Vocal, for their Schumann disc of Heine settings. It is the second year in a row for this partnership following their win in 2008 for Songs by Samuel Barber, also on Hyperion.

Gramophone Awards 2009Sunday 16 August 2009Gerald Finley has been nominated for Best Solo Vocal Album at the 2009 Classic FM Gramophone Awards.

The awards ceremony will take place in London on October 3, 2009.

You can also still vote for Gerald as Artist of the Year by following the link below: www.gramophone.co.uk/vote.asp Voting closes on September 3, 2009.

2009-2010 season announcementWednesday 8 July 2009Gerald Finley's 2009-2010 season has now been announced in the diary section. The season includes operatic performances at the Metropolitan Opera and Glyndebourne, concerts with orchestras including the LSO, Halle, Berlin Philharmonic and Boston Symphony Orchestra and recitals both sides of the Atlantic including London, Madrid, Brussels, New York, Vancouver and Toronto.

Gramophone Awards 2009Sunday 5 July 2009Gerald Finley has once again been nominated for Artist of the Year by Gramophone Magazine. This award is voted for by the public. You can do so by following the link below: www.gramophone.co.uk/vote.asp

New releaseMonday 1 June 2009June sees the release of Gerald Finley's new album with Julius Drake - a collection of songs by Maurice Ravel.

This much anticipated release by the award-winning partnership demonstrates the endless variety and vast emotional scope of Ravel’s musical sphere.

*****5 stars – BBC Music Magazine

"It feels inadequate just to describe this enchanting new collection from Gerald Finley and Julius Drake as the best modern recital devoted to the wonderfully varied world of Ravel’s songs"

Peter Grimes at ENOMonday 11 May 2009Gerald Finley has this weekend made his role debut as Captain Balstrode in Peter Grimes at English National Opera. This new production, directed by David Alden and conducted by Edward Gardner has recieved great critical acclaim. Performances continue on May 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 28 and 30.

The Lucerne FestivalMonday 13 April 2009Gerald Finley recently made his debut at the Lucerne Festival performing Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, conducted by Bernard Haitink.

Doctor Atomic arrives in LondonFriday 27 February 2009Last night marked the UK premiere of John Adams' opera Doctor Atomic in which Gerald Finley is delighted to once again be performing the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer. The performances in London at English National Opera continue until March 20, 2009.

"The superb Gerald Finley" The Times"Gerald Finley is magnificent" Evening Standard"The setting of the Donne sonnet, Batter My Heart, which ends the first act, remains the standout musical number, especially when sung with the gilded beauty that Gerald Finley brings to it; his neurotic, chain-smoking Oppenheimer is a remarkable portrayal" The Guardian"The excellent Gerald Finley...sings with a magnetic beauty" Financial Times

Die tote Stadt at the Royal Opera HouseMonday 2 February 2009Gerald Finley is currently performing at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in the UK stage premiere of Korngold's Die tote Stadt. Performances continue throughout February.

"Gerald Finley stealing the vocal honours, on double time as Fritz and Frank: happily, he gets one of the hit tunes of the show, the Pierrotlied, and sings it with lustre" The Times

"It's worth the price of the ticket to hear Gerald Finley... sing the Act 2 Pierrot lied" The Telegraph

BBC Music Magazine Awards 2009Saturday 17 January 2009Gerald Finley has been nominated for a BBC Music Magazine Award 2009. His recently released Wigmore Live CD of songs by Tchaikovsky, Musorgsky and Ned Rorem with Julius Drake has been nominated in the vocal category.

New releaseTuesday 6 January 2009A new recording of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas with Sarah Connolly as Dido and Gerald Finley as Aeneas has been released by Chandos. Recorded in June 2008 with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment it has already been chosen as CD of the Month in the February 2009 issue of Classic FM Magazine.

"An original, intense and highly durable reading of the first great English Opera" Gramophone Magazine

Royal Opera House featured artist - Winter seasonWednesday 3 December 2008Gerald Finley is the featured artist for the Royal Opera House Winter season. He will return to Covent Garden for performances of Die Tote Stadt in January and February 2009. Please visit the calendar section for further details.

Click here for more information on Die Tote Stadt including an interview with Gerald Finley as part of the online podcast: Die Tote Stadt online feature

New releaseSunday 2 November 2008A live recording of songs by Tchaikovsky, Musorgsky and Ned Rorem recorded on October 18, 2007 at London's Wigmore Hall has now been released on the Wigmore Live label.

This is the 25th release in the acclaimed Wigmore Live series.

"Filleted from his 2007 Wigmore Hall recital, this disc reinforces Gerald Finley's credentials as one of the finest non-native singers of Russian." Daily Telegraph, London

"Finley captured on peak form in a stimulating and varied recital"
"A genuine treat, this, and not to be missed" Gramophone Magazine

Doctor Atomic at the Metropolitan OperaSaturday 25 October 2008Gerald Finley is delighted to be performing the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer once again, this time in a new production by Penny Woolcock, conducted by Alan Gilbert at The Metropolitan Opera, New York.
This co-production with English National Opera will premiere in London in February 2009.

This production will be broadcast at cinemas worldwide throughout November and on PBS on December 29, 2008.

"Gerald Finley's Oppenheimer — ruthless in attack, pellucid in delivery — remains one of the truly great opera-house performances of the past decade" Opera News

Gramophone Award Winner!Thursday 25 September 2008Gerald Finley and Julius Drake are delighted to have today received the Solo Vocal Award for their recording of 'Songs by Samuel Barber' at the 2008 Gramophone Awards.

In addition to this, Le Nozze di Figaro recorded by Opus Arte at the ROH won the DVD award.

Firstly he has two nominations in the Song category for his recital discs ‘Songs by Samuel Barber’ and ‘Romanzo di Central Park – Songs of Charles Ives’ both on Hyperion Records with the pianist Julius Drake. In addition to this, the DVD of Le Nozze di Figaro recorded by Opus Arte at the ROH has been nominated in the DVD category. Finally, he has been nominated in the Artist of the Year category – this is the only award to be voted for by the public. The awards ceremony will take place in London on September 25, 2008.

New releaseFriday 29 August 2008Following great critical acclaim for Gerald Finley's two recital discs of Charles Ives ‘A Song – For Anything’ and ‘Romanzo di Central Park’, in addition to ‘Songs by Samuel Barber’, Hyperion Records will shortly release Schumann’s ‘Dichterliebe and other Heine Settings’ in September 2008.

This is his fourth disc with collaborator Julius Drake, and the partnership has proved to be a uniquely rewarding one.

This fine recital also includes many of Schumann’s other Heine settings. The extremes of elation and despair in Heine’s poetry stimulated Schumann to write some of his most poignant and unforgettable songs.

"Gerald Finley is both intelligent and gripping, and sings with a tone that has never sounded more luxurious" Classic FM magazine (5 stars)

"It's a recital which can stand comparison with the greatest Schumann recordings" Metro, London

In the studioTuesday 24 June 2008Within the next few weeks Gerald Finley is back in the studio working on two projects.

Firstly, he is delighted to be recording Dido and Aeneas with Sarah Connolly and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment for Chandos Records.

He then teams up with the pianist Julius Drake once again to record another eagerly awaited solo recital disc for Hyperion Records. On this occasion they are recording a wonderful selection of songs by Ravel.

European ConcertsMonday 26 May 2008Gerald Finley's busy concert schedule continues with performances next week at the Vienna Musikverein with Nicklaus Harnoncourt. This follows concerts in recent weeks with the Halle Orchestra at the Prague Spring Festival with Mark Elder, with Richard Hickox and the Philharmonia in London and with Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic in Berlin.

New releaseWednesday 2 April 2008The critically acclaimed production of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro directed by David McVicar and conducted by Antonio Pappano has now been released on DVD. This wonderful production, conducted by Antonio Pappano stars Gerald Finley as Conte Almaviva.

"It's hard to imagine anything being done, or sung better"
"Sit back and enjoy" The Toronto Star

New releaseTuesday 26 February 2008Following the success of 'Songs by Charles Ives' on Hyperion Records in 2006, a second collection of songs by Charles Ives 'Romanzo di Central Park' has now been released to great critical acclaim.

'Outstandingly well sung and played, equally well recorded, and highly recommendable to all lovers of fine songs and fine singing' (BBC Music Magazine - Choral and Song Choice in Feb 2008 issue)

Laurence Olivier Award Nomination!Thursday 7 February 2008Following Gerald Finley's double Juno Award nomination earlier this week, we are thrilled to announce that he has now been nominated for the award for 'Outstanding Achievement In Opera' at the 2008 Laurence Olivier Awards.

Gerald has been nominated for his performance as Golaud in PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The production has also been nominated in the 'Best New Opera Production' category.

The winners of the 2008 Laurence Olivier Awards will be announced at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel on March 9, 2008.

New releaseWednesday 16 January 2008JOHN FOULDS
Chandos Disc of the Month 'A World Requiem' has now been released. Recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the recording took place on November 11, 2007 - Remembrance Day.

Midem Classical Awards 2009Wednesday 28 January 2009The DVD of Doctor Atomic filmed at the Netherlands Opera has won Best DVD at the 2009 Midem Classical Awards.
Doctor Atomic will have its UK stage premiere at English National Opera in February 2009. See the Calendar for further details.

Last chance to vote!Wednesday 18 February 2009Voting closes on March 1 for the BBC Music Magazine Awards 2009 where Gerald Finley and pianist Julius Drake have been nominated in the vocal category for their Wigmore Live CD of songs by Tchaikovsky, Musorgsky and Rorem.

New releaseThursday 24 January 2008MARK-ANTHONY TURNAGE
A second volume of works by Mark-Anthony Turnage, performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring the song cycle "The Torn Fields", will be released on the LPO label in February 2008.

Mark-Anthony Turnage Homepage

LPO Recordings

Sign up for updates!Saturday 19 January 2008E-NEWSLETTER
There is now a new feature on GeraldFinley.com where you can sign up for updates on performances, masterclasses, cd and dvd releases and further news items.

Songs by Samuel Barber: Gramophone disc of the monthThursday 27 December 2007Gerald Finley's recent release of 'Songs by Samuel Barber' is CD of the Month in the January 2008 issue of Gramophone magazine. This follows critical and popular acclaim for the recital disc with the pianist Julius Drake.

Gramophone Magazine

Doctor Atomic: Lyric Opera of ChicagoTuesday 18 December 2007The Chicago premiere of Doctor Atomic took place on Friday December 14, 2007 to great critical acclaim. It is the third outing of this opera composed by John Adams and directed by Peter Sellars, having already been premiered in San Francisco and Amsterdam in recent seasons. Gerald Finley is delighted to be playing the role of Robert Oppenheimer once again.

"Gerald Finley, the Canadian baritone who created the title role, was back as Oppenheimer, and his portrayal is even stronger. He sings with melting richness yet lucid diction. Puffing away on cigarettes, his suit forever rumpled, full of bravado yet plagued with doubts, Mr. Finley’s Oppenheimer is a tragically flawed and Faustian figure who dares to push science into unknown and potentially catastrophic realms" New York Times

"Listen to Gerald Finley's Oppenheimer deliver his great, John Donne-inspired showpiece that ends Act 1, "Batter my heart, three-person'd God," a twisty and dense aria of fear and anguish Bach might have inserted in one of his sacred cantatas were he alive today. The Canadian baritone inhabits his role as the high-strung, chain-smoking hero, deeply torn between scientific duty and moral responsibility, with fierce understanding and commitment" Chicago Tribune

Fansite!Thursday 6 December 2007We are delighted to announce a fansite dedicated to Gerald Finley. This is a wonderful archive of all of Gerald Finley's performances, recordings and much much more!

New releaseWednesday 28 November 2007JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Gerald Finley's most recent recording with Nikolaus Harnoncourt has just been released by Harmonia Mundi. The recording of Johann Sebastian Bach's Weihnachtsoratorium (Christmas Oratorio) was recorded at the Musikverein in Vienna in December 2006.

It is CD of the Month in the December 2007 issue of Gramophone Magazine.

New releaseMonday 12 November 2007SAMUEL BARBER
This new disc of Songs by Samuel Barber has just been released by Hyperion Records, featuring Gerald Finley with pianist Julius Drake and the Aronowitz Quartet, and includes Barber's powerful Dover Beach.

Classic FM Magazine (Dec issue) - 5 stars
"Having served the songs of Charles Ives with enormous distinction, the partnership of baritone Gerald Finley and pianist Julius Drake shift artistic gear to explore works by one of America's greatest tunesmiths. Samuel Barber's lyrical writing and subtle feeling for expressive shading were matched in his songs by a Britten-like aptness for word-setting, which ideally suits Finley's compelling blend of emotional conviction and vocal flexibility. On the strength of his interpretation of the Hermit Songs alone, regardless of his majestic readings of Barber's Rilke settings and Dover Beach, Finley enables this album to command its price as one of the year's finest vocal releases. Unmissable." Andrew Stewart